A Hawaiian surfer from a poor family, Daniel seems just within reach of a better life. But he is locked in a pattern of self-sabotage — why?

Restless with his life in Oahu, he moves to the mainland, only to find himself tangled in the ugly secrets of New York's ultra rich. Soon he finds himself committing shameful acts that start to feel normal. But Daniel holds the darkest secret, and he doesn't even know it.

The Torment of a Lost Love...One of the year's Best Modern Love Stories, Ugly Things We Hide is a dark psychological thriller simmering with passion. The characters are so raw and intense, you will hear their voices in your head as they haunt you in your dreams and threaten to live in your memory forever.

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The title is no lie and this novel is full of amazing material, most of it better left unsaid according to conventional wisdom. The rich and the powerful are behaving in overbearing and vice-ridden ways and the central narrator is, too. He gets into such formidable trouble that three years in prison and a court verdict do not relieve the reader from an overwhelming sense of having gotten into something really unsavoury. Moving through a moral quagmire where there is no real right or wrong, where American society and Americans themselves, seem to believe in no value other than money and what it can buy, the reader experiences amazement and repulsion, but nothing so much as the incredible knowledge that the narrator’s love for Phoebe may not pull him through. The novel’s absolute credit is to have sung that young love in a really memorable way. I, for one, thought the narrator’s artistic success was far-fetched with all the paintings depicting Phoebe but as a reader I was unable NOT to believe in his love for the girl (and the pluralistic, relativist, drug-orientated beach-life of young people so well described in its hedonistic manifestations which is surely the harbiner of the amoral content of the future chapters), so much so that I was irritated by Part II which changes the tone of the narrative completely (for me). M. Ocampo McIvor is a good writer and when he is writing about young, sexual love he is very good. There are few typos and the overall presentation is professional. The ruined lives are there but seem accepted as part of the ugliness we must face in a moral vacuum caused by our inability to believe in concrete, religious values.

This is one of those books that leaves you thinking about the characters weeks after you've finished reading it. The main character is incredibly sympathetic, even in light of the hideous things he does. He makes you cringe, but you still support him.

I'm a voracious readers and plow through a lot of books, so when Amazon randomly suggested this read, I bought it - Amazon tends to be pretty good about knowing what kind of book I'll like. I was pleasantly surprised: the writing is powerful and transports you effortlessly. I was hooked after the first few pages and couldn't put it down. The story is so believable and what I loved is that the ending is a complete surprise. To avoid any spoilers I don't want to say more, but it was a refreshing surprise to read a wonderful book that doesn't have the cliche ending you are expecting, or maybe even hoping for.

An excellent read, really, and would make for a great book club novel as you will be dying to discuss the details and see how others have interpreted them. I cannot recommend this book enough. Has the author written anything else, does anyone know?

I don't read a lot of fiction, but because this story was inspired by real-life events, I was curious. Once I grasped who the main characters were, it was an easy read and I had a hard time putting it down. We all have secrets, some are just more difficult to share (and hear) than others. Ugly Things We Hide highlights this shared human experience. Main character Daniel weathers a series of shocking discoveries and life lessons that will probably make you feel uncomfortable at times, but more comfortable with your imperfections in the end.

Story starts out in Costa Rica and author is very good at describing places and events, the language nuances, makes you feel like you'r actually there. Daniel's interactions with his Hawaiian family, especially his brother, is such a contrast from how he talks and behaves among his mainland friends. Story spans 2007-2017 and it's like a time capsule of the culture and technology of its time. It weaves in art, science and technology, with lots of cultural references. It's dark and disturbing at times but still offers a lot of humour. An interesting, thoughtful and satisfying read with great multicultural characters. Memorable story and characters. Will make you laugh and cry and think.

Cool, logical, practical Daniel tries to keep it together even when his world is a mess that you want to break down for him. The story reads like the main character: Slow Simmer. It's broken into four parts. The fist part is fun and lighthearted, but heats up and gets darker in the later chapters. It's one of those books that gets better & better the further along you read, unlike so many books that overpromise in the first 2 chapters and then fizzle out, so underwhelming. Not this book. This book smolders! Ugly Things is a beautiful read and Daniel will seduce you all the way to the end. Highly recommend!